Page 14

Chapter 14

Rules Of Engagement

CHANCE

I t’s well past midnight when the last few guests say their goodbyes and leave.

“Doesn’t the club have a delivery service for wedding presents?” I grunt, loading a heavy box onto the bed of my truck.

“We do,” Trey says. I played hockey with him at school. He's always worked at the Club in the summer. “But the mayor said he didn’t want to inconvenience us, since the end of the summer is pretty busy for us.”

Typical Dad.

If this was just a ploy to look good in front of his constituents, I could be mad; but Dad is a genuinely nice guy. He’s always been quick to offer a helping hand to whoever needed it, and he raised us the same way.

Case in point, he told us to help Trey load the presents in his car and my truck, and he’s helping, too.

“This is the last one,” I grunt, lifting another heavy box and wiping some not so imaginary sweat off my forehead. “I thought the bride and groom asked for charity donations in lieu of presents, anyway. I’m surprised there’s so much stuff.”

“We did,” Dad says, walking toward his G-wagon. “But most people decided to do both. I’m grateful, but we have every appliance you can think of, so most of these will be duplicates.”

Ares shrugs, clearly unimpressed. “Maybe you can donate the stuff that you already own?”

“It’s an idea,” Dad muses. “But we’ll have to tread carefully. I don’t want to offend anyone who was generous enough to give to charity and still get us a present. I’ll see what Kelly thinks. You can take anything you want for your apartment.”

Ares doesn’t react to the sour note in Dad’s tone when he mentions his apartment. Our father’s disappointment when Ares decided to move out hasn’t lessened with time.

“Thanks Dad. My apartment doesn’t have a ton of space, but I wouldn’t say no to one of those fancy coffee makers with the pods, if someone gifted you one. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you had booked the penthouse suite here at the club for your wedding night? I was going to ride with Chance and stay at the house tonight. But if you want me to drive your car with the presents, I can do that and come back to pick you up tomorrow.”

Dad unlocks his car. “Kelly wanted a few minutes to get out of her wedding dress and get ready, so I thought I’d drive the presents home, and then come back. Zara can ride with me while Chance takes Lev home. Then the three of us could have a little nightcap, and toast to this new beginning for our family.”

Zara and Lev come out a few minutes later, and I can’t help but throw a wink in her direction. I’m sure Dad won’t keep us too long. If I were him, I would be helping my bride out of her wedding dress, rather than driving home. Fuck, if it was me marrying Zara? I would rip that wedding dress off of her with my fucking teeth.

The thought is quite foreign to me. I’ve never thought about marriage before. As it is, I used to think that Atlas was crazy for planning to marry Heather the second she turned eighteen. Maybe I felt that way because I hadn’t met anyone special enough to see myself with them forever.

It’s not that I think Zara is that person. We’re both too young to be thinking about marriage. There’s also the fact that we haven’t known each other that long. The point is, though, that if I ever get married, it will be to someone like Zara; she’s beautiful and fun, and I love her wild side. My mind is made up that if Dad hurries up with his night cap, I’m gonna rip that bridesmaid dress off of Zara with my fucking teeth. As a hockey player, I know the importance of practice, so I’m going to perfect undressing my girl.

“Do you guys want any help with those presents?” Zara asks when I park my truck next to Dad’s car in front of our house.

“No, sweetheart. The boys and I won’t be long. We’ve all had a long day. You go to bed. I know your mom is planning to thank you tomorrow, but I just wanted to say how beautiful you were today and how happy you made Kelly by agreeing to be her maid of honor. Thank you for helping make our day absolutely perfect.”

Zara smiles, accepting Dad’s hug. “You’re more than welcome, Scott. I haven’t seen my mom so happy in forever. I hope to see the two of you always so happy and in love.”

I don’t miss the little smile she gives me as she turns to go to her room.

“What would you guys like to drink? Is bourbon ok?” Dad asks, as we follow him to the living room. “I know you’re both underage, even though Ares will be twenty-one in a couple of weeks. But this is a special occasion, and I’m not going to tell anyone if you won’t.”

We both accept tumblers of bourbon on the rocks, and lift our glasses when Dad toasts to “our new family.”

“Sit down with me for a second,” he says, lowering himself onto the armchair on one side of the couch. “I wanted to talk to you both about something.”

Ares and I look at each other. What can be so important that Dad feels the need to talk about right this second?

“When Kelly and I decided to get married, we were hoping to blend our two families into one. God knows we both needed a fresh start. She after her divorce, and us…”

Ares takes a big gulp of his bourbon, and I do the same thing. We can’t even bring ourselves to say Atlas’s name, even though it’s been two years.

“My point is,” Dad continues. “We were hoping that you kids would get along.”

I can’t help myself but smile. “When you mentioned that Kelly had a daughter, I was hoping she would be cool. But Zara is awesome, Dad.”

I’m about to mention that we already met her, but I think better of it. I don’t want to have to go back to the worst weekend of our lives on a happy day like today, when Dad inevitably asks how we met our new stepsister.

“Chance is right.” Ares agrees. “Zara is very nice. Even Heather loves her, and she’s very choosy about who she lets into her inner circle.”

Dad brings his glass to his lips, without really drinking. That’s probably good, since he’s planning to drive back to the Country Club.

“I’m glad Heather has taken her under her wing. College is a new beginning anyway, and your social circle is going to expand tenfold compared to high school; but it’s good that she already has a good friend to help her acclimate to a new town and a new family.”

I’m about to tease Dad for his choice of words. Acclimate? Zara isn’t a house plant or something. But Dad’s next words stop me in my tracks.

“It’s good that you guys think so highly of Zara too,” he levels me and Ares with a hard stare. I haven’t seen him looking at us that way in years. “But the reason I wanted to talk to you tonight is that I want to set clear expectations and boundaries when it comes to having Kelly’s daughter living in our house.”

I don’t understand why he looks so vexed. “You don’t have to worry, Dad. Like we said, Zara is really cool.”

A muscle in his jaw pops at my words. I’m about to ask what’s wrong, but the answer comes before I get to ask the question.

“You keep saying that,” he bites out, looking less than pleased. “And while I’m glad you two like Zara, I think you like her a little too much.”

A look passes between me and my brother, but again before either of us can ask Dad what he means, he explains.

“You aren’t being too subtle about it either,” he glares. “Every time I look at either of you, you have your hands on Zara. Helping her dry herself after a shower, or storing something in the garage. Even tonight, the way both of you danced with her in front of all our friends and family was so inappropriate, I was embarrassed.”

“Dad,” Ares intervenes. “It’s not what it?—”

He interrupts him. “It’s not what it looks like?”

I squirm in my seat. Because I don’t know about Ares, but when it comes to me, it’s exactly how it looks like. I have the fucking hots for Zara. And if I wasn’t here getting yelled at by Dad, I’d be upstairs with my face buried between her legs or even better, balls deep inside her.

Of course I don’t say any of that. It’s not like Dad is waiting for an answer to his question though, he’s on a roll right now.

“You had your hands all over her,” Dad accuses Ares. “She’s a kid, Ares. You?—”

“She’s eighteen,” Ares interrupts him. “Almost nineteen, actually. She’s only two years younger than me.”

Dad shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. She just graduated from high school. She’s too young for you.”

We both get our stubbornness from Dad. “Two years isn’t a big age gap. There are five years between you and Kelly. And there was exactly the same age difference between Atlas and Heather. No one had a problem with them dating.”

I know mentioning our late brother was the wrong thing to do, even before Dad slams his fist on the coffee table. “Leave your brother out of this. The age difference isn’t even the biggest issue here. Chance and Zara are the same age. The problem is that whatever you two think you’re doing with her, it needs to stop right now. Zara should feel safe in our house. It’s her house too now. She shouldn’t have to fend off your advances.”

I take offense to that. “Dad, that’s unfair. I can’t talk about Ares, but I haven’t done anything Zara didn’t want. And before you get bent out of shape about this, I asked for her express consent before I kissed her, and before?—”

If my temper wasn’t flaring like a fucking Fourth of July firework right now, I would laugh.

I would think that Dad’s and Ares’s matching scowls are hilarious.

“Watch your mouth,” Dad seethes. “I’d be very careful about what you’re going to say next, Chance. You better not have fucked her or so help me, God.”

Hearing the word “fuck” coming out of my dad’s mouth makes me flinch. It’s not like I haven’t heard him cuss before, but it’s always been on video, whenever we watched old tapes from his pro hockey days. Since Dad retired from the NHL to take care of Mom when she got sick, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him use any foul language.

Dad, however, isn’t the only one who’s looking at me as if he wanted to rip my head off.

Ares looks just as furious as our old man. “Zara isn’t your girl, Chance. I like her too.”

Fucker. As if having to compete with Lev for Zara’s attention wasn’t hard enough.

“Too bad I kissed her first.” I challenge him.

“You’re so childish.” Ares snaps. “If that’s how you think we’re going to decide who gets a shot with Zara, I saw her first. Or did you forget who stepped in when her ex was beating on her?”

I’m ready to argue, but Dad looks ready to blow a gasket. “Someone was beating up your sister? How could that happen without me and Kelly knowing about it? Did her ex come to the house?”

Ares shakes his head. “We met Zara for the first time two years ago in Bridgeport, at the Super Bikes…” his voice dies down when he realizes what a fucking huge mistake he just made.

It’s ironic that he didn’t think that Dad doesn’t want to talk about that weekend in Bridgeport, since he acts exactly the same way. Since Atlas’s death, both Dad and Ares have made it clear that they can’t handle any reference to my late brother, nor to the circumstances of his death.

“You better explain what you mean.” Dad’s tone is scary. I’ve never seen him looking like this, at least not since that day at the racetrack; his skin is ashen gray, his mouth flattened into a grim line.

We have no choice but to revisit the worst couple of days of our lives, and I know even before Ares relays the events of the bonfire party that most of Dad’s fury is going to be directed at me.

“You did what?” he seethes. “You’re telling me that the girl in the mini skirt tied to your back while you raced on the sand was Zara? Kelly’s Zara?”

I flinch.

Dad saw that video once. He saw the short version that showed only the actual race. In that, both Zara and I are wearing a full-face helmet and the video cuts at the end, right after I take my helmet off, but before she does.

“You know how I feel about motorcycles,” Dad bites out. “And you know that Kelly feels exactly the same way. That’s one of the reasons Kelly insisted with Zara that she moved in with us. With our town’s ban on motorbikes, she can be sure to keep Zara away from that reckless, dangerous world.”

I should know when to cut my losses. I should fucking know that arguing with Dad about this won’t change his mind, but I do it anyway.

“You can’t keep us and the whole town wrapped in cotton wool, Dad. Bad things can happen anyway, and motorcycles aren’t responsible for?—”

He cuts me off. “Every statistic in the county, in the state, in the entire world proves you wrong. Motorcycles are dangerous and they’re illegal within Star Cove city limits. That will never change as long as I’m this town’s mayor. I vowed to keep the youth of this town safe. I owe it to your brother’s memory.”

I look at Ares, but he won’t meet my gaze. I know that on this particular topic, he agrees with Dad.

“But we weren’t talking about bikes. Kelly and I expect the two of you to be nice to Zara, to help her settle down in town and at school. To treat her with respect, like a sister.”

Finally my brother grows a fucking pair and argues with Dad. “But she isn’t our sister. We aren’t related to her by blood, and we aren’t children. You can’t dictate our relationship with Zara.”

Dad glares at us. “Maybe you’re right. And maybe Ares has a job and his own place. But that can change. It would take one word to the sheriff. And you, Chance, still live under my roof and so does Zara; so I expect you to live by my rules.”

I can’t fucking believe this. “Would you really get Ares fired and cut me off?”

He exhales, his expression furious and pained at the same time as he looks at me and Ares. “No, I wouldn’t. Unless you two forced my hand. I’m serious about this. You two need to stay away from your stepsister. Nothing good can come out of pursuing her the way you have. And before you keep arguing, what’s your end game in this?”

I’m confused. “What do you mean?”

Dad sighs. “Look son, I’ve always given you boys all the freedom you could have ever wanted. Without mentioning what happened in Bridgeport, you’ve never had a curfew, and I’ve never tried to control you. Your brother Atlas was the only one who had a relationship, but the two of you? Do you think I don’t know about the hookups and the one-night stands you’ve been having for years? Other than making sure you knew about safety, I’ve let you do what you wanted. Is this what you’re planning to do with Zara? Have fun for one night and then move on?”

Ares begins shaking his head. “No. It isn’t like that with Zara. I?—”

“Then how is it? What are you going to do? Fight each other for her? How is that going to work out? One of you is going to be forced to watch his brother with the girl he wanted. How is that not going to affect your relationship? And our family? I love you guys. I’ve given you everything since the moment you took your first breaths. I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. Treat Zara like a sister, or there’s going to be hell to pay. I’m going to do what’s necessary to protect our family and your relationship with each other.”

He raises from his chair. “Now I’m going to go back to the Country Club to my wife. Whatever has been going on between you and Zara ends tonight. Don’t disappoint me again.”

Silence descends in the living room after Dad walks out.

He said again.

We both know when he thinks we disappointed him before. He blames us for what happened to Atlas.

The worst thing about this shit show is that he isn’t totally wrong. What if things don’t work out between me and Zara? Dad is right that I have zero experience with romantic relationships. And if Zara chose Ares, would I be able to watch them together every day? However we look at it, we’re fucked, and we both know it.